Italian 3.2. Present Perfect Tense

The present perfect tense in Italian is used to describe events that happened and were completed in the past or happened in the past and continue in the present.

In Italian, the present perfect tense covers both the present perfect and the simple past tenses in English, that is, “I spoke” and “I have spoken” are both translated to the same tense in Italian.

Using the Conjugation Auxiliary “Avere” vs. “Essere”

The present perfect is a compound tense, meaning it requires an auxiliary verb. In English, we use the verb “to have” in the present tense as an auxiliary, e.g., “I have done my homework.”

In Italian, some verbs use the auxiliary “avere” (to have), while others use the auxiliary “essere” (to be) in the present tense, followed by the past participle.  

The past participle of regular verbs using the auxiliary “avere” (to have) is formed by adding the appropriate suffix for “-are,” “-ere,” and “-ire” verbs.

The past participle of regular verbs using the auxiliary “essere” (to be) is formed in a similar way.

One additional requirement here is that the suffix of the past participle must agree with the subject in gender and number, that is, the past participle essentially requires the treatment of an adjective.

Examples with “Avere”

Let us look at some examples of verbs conjugated using the auxiliary “avere”:

Here are some more examples:

Notice that in some of these examples, the present perfect tense in Italian corresponds to the present perfect, whereas in others it corresponds to the simple past tense depending on the context.

Examples with “Essere”

Now, let us look at some examples of verbs conjugated using the auxiliary “essere”:

Here are some more examples:

Notice again that in some of these examples, the present perfect tense in Italian corresponds to the present perfect, whereas in others it corresponds to the simple past tense depending on the context.

Verbs Conjugated using “Avere” vs. “Essere”

You are perhaps wondering when to use the auxiliary “avere” and when to use the auxiliary “essere” to form the past participle.

The vast majority of Italian verbs, including all transitive[1] verbs, are conjugated using the auxiliary “avere.” Thus, it is easier to memorize the verbs that use “essere.” First, all transitive non-reflexive verbs use “avere.”

[1] A verb is transitive if it requires an object. For example, the “to bring” can only be transitive, because the meaning is not complete without an object, e.g., “I bring.”

If you can rule that out, the following categories, although not comprehensive, contain most verbs that use “essere.”

Verbs Conjugated using “Essere”

1. A group of intransitive verbs related to motion (e.g., to go, to come, to return, to enter, to leave, to fall, to enter, etc.).

Remember that all the verbs above that use “essere” are motion-related. However, not all motion-related verbs use “essere.” This should serve as a guideline to help you memorize the verbs in this category.

2. A group of intransitive verbs related to change or transformation (e.g., to become, to be born, to die, to appear, to disappear, to lose weight, etc.).

Notice that the above verbs use “essere” only when they are in transitive form, that is when there is a direct object acted upon. If the verb is transitive, “avere” must be used. For example:

3. Verbs that are always in the third-person. For example, “costare” (to cost), “durare” (to last), “occorrere” (to take or to be necessary), “succedere” (to happen), etc.

Here are some examples:

4. Many, but not all, verbs like “piacere.” Refer to Lesson 1 of this level.

Here are some examples:

5. All reflexive verbs, which will be covered in detail in Level IV, Lesson 3, e.g., “chiamarsi” (to call oneself), “lavarsi” (to wash oneself), etc.

Irregular Past Participles

There are some verbs with irregular past participles used in the present perfect tense in Italian and need to be memorized.

Verbs with both Regular & Irregular Forms

Some verbs have both regular and irregular past participle forms:

Although both regular and irregular forms are considered grammatically correct, note the following:

1. Except for the verb “cedere,” the use of irregular forms is more common in daily spoken language.

2. The use of “veduto,” “perduto,” and “succeduto” is often found in literary domain and may sound archaic.

3. The regular form “perduto” is often used in the context of morality or soul-searching, e.g., “anima perduta” (lost soul). In the context of losing one’s way or going astray, the irregular form is often used, e.g., “Ho perso la mia strada” (I have lost my way).

4. The regular form “succeduto” is often only used when “succedere” means “to succeed,” as in: “Il re è succeduto a suo padre” (The king succeeded his father).

5. The irregular form “cesso” of the verb “cedere” is used in colloquial language as a noun meaning “toilet.”

The verbs above can be used with prefixes that change the meaning, but the irregular form remains the same. For example, the verb “rivedere,” derived from “vedere,” has two past participle forms: “riveduto” and “rivisto.” Similarly, the past participle of the verb “assolvere” (to absolve) is “assolto,” similar to “risolto,” the past participle of “risolvere” (to resolve).

Using the Past Participle as an Adjective

Many adjectives in Italian are the same as the past participle, especially when active meaning is conveyed.

In some cases, the past participle and the adjective are different. For example:

Next: The Verb “To Know”: “Sapere” vs. “Conoscere”

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